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Monday, October 07, 2013

JAZZ CONNECT CONFERENCE AT APAP/NYC, JANUARY 9-10, 2014

The Jazz
Connect Conference at APAP|NYC 2014, organized by JazzTimes in conjunction with
the Jazz Forward Coalition, announced the tentative schedule of events for one
of the largest gatherings of the professional jazz community. The conference
will be held January 9-10, 2014 at the Hilton New York Hotel in New York City
and will feed into the annual APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters)
Conference as well as Winter Jazzfest. Continuing the momentum from the January
2013 event which tripled to over 1,000 registrants, the Jazz Connect Conference
in 2014-based on feedback from attendees-will feature a series of essential
workshops, panels and events held over the course of two days. Early Bird
Registration is only $75 until October 31, with additional discounts offered to
members of various organizations. Registration is free for APAP members,
although they must pre-register.

With a
theme of "The Road Ahead" the conference will again bring together a
wide cross-section of the jazz community for 12 workshops and 5 plenary
sessions, on topics such as: "Navigating Social Media"; "The
Role of Education in Presenting Jazz"; "The New Paradigm for Record
Labels"; "Cutting Through the Clutter"; "Jazz
Grantmaking"; "Expanding the Language of Jazz"; "Getting to
the Gatekeepers in the Jazz Media"; "Give to Get: Growing Your Fan
Base with Online Content" and other timely and engaging subjects.
Moderators and panelists include an impressive cross-section of artists and
professionals. The keynote speaker will be announced soon. New this year will
be a networking session enabling emerging artists and professionals to connect
and get informed input on their own careers and operations. "We noticed
that attendees appreciated the opportunity that Jazz Connect offered to network
with each other and meet colleagues face-to-face and so we decided to program a
session that facilitates that interaction," says Lee Mergner, publisher of
JazzTimes and one of the conference's organizers. "It seems that social
media can only take you so far in establishing relationships in the
community."

The
schedule reflects the input from and collaboration with numerous organizations
such as JazzWeek (radio programmers), Jazz Education Network, All About Jazz
and the Jazz Journalists Association, each of whom will host workshops or
panels during the conference. In addition to incorporating the involvement of
various organizations, the sessions also include a wide range of voices in and
out of the jazz community.

Peter Gordon,
co-founder of Jazz Forward Coalition says that the new theme for the Jazz
Connect Conference is all about the jazz community looking forward. "There
has been a vibrant re-emergence in the sense of community for jazz," says
Gordon. "By providing a forum for this shared passion coupled with top
professionals guiding us with their deep knowledge base, we hope to arm
everyone with tools and strategies to thrive in the coming year. Working
together we have a collective intelligence that is unstoppable for the road
ahead."

By
popular demand, Jazz Connect will again include a session topic suggested by
the jazz community at large. Interested parties can submit their ideas for a
panel or workshop via e-mail to jazzconnectnyc@gmail.com.

The Jazz
Connect conference is organized by Peter Gordon of the Jazz Forward Coalition
and Lee Mergner of JazzTimes, with assistance and input from over a dozen
industry professionals. The conference has received the support of the
Association of Performing Arts Presenters organization, which hosts the world's
leading forum for the performing arts every year in New York City. JazzTimes is
the official publication for the event.

For more
information about the Jazz Connect conference, you can e-mail jazzconnectnyc@gmail.com
or visit www.jazz-connect.com. To pre-register for the conference, go to the
website. To reserve a table-top display or to advertise in the Conference
edition of JazzTimes, contact Miene Smith at 617-706-9092 or
msmith@madavor.com.

Attendees
can get a special discount at the host hotels for the APAP|NYC conference, but
must go through the APAP|NYC website.

About
the Association of Performing Arts Presenters

The
Association of Performing Arts Presenters, based in Washington, DC, is the national
service and advocacy organization dedicated to developing and supporting a
robust performing arts presenting field and the professionals who work within
it. As a leader in the field, APAP works to effect change through advocacy,
professional development, resource sharing and civic engagement. APAP is a
nonprofit 501(c)3 organization governed by a volunteer board of directors and
led by President & CEO Mario Garcia Durham. In addition to presenting the
annual APAP|NYC conference-the world's leading forum and marketplace for the
performing arts (Jan. 11-15, 2013)-APAP continues to be the industry's leading
resource, knowledge and networking destination for the advancement of
performing arts presenting.

About
the Jazz Forward Coalition

The Jazz
Forward Coalition (JFC) is a consortium of industry leaders focused on
enhancing jazz's vitality and cultural relevance for audience development. JFC
is focused on developing programs and platforms to support its two central
themes of advocacy and infrastructure. By providing a global voice, JFC will
cultivate opportunities to motivate growth for current and future generations
to expand jazz's cultural footprint. On the web at
www.jazzforwardcoalition.com.

About
JazzTimes

JazzTimes
is America's preeminent jazz magazine providing irreverent, uncompromising and
often provocative coverage of the American jazz scene. Relying on an
award-winning editorial staff, JazzTimes encompasses special themes,
directories, comprehensive news reports and an extensive music review section.
JazzTimes is a must-read for the jazz enthusiast. On the web at
www.jazztimes.com.